Diving apparatus



B. F. LEAVITT.

DIVING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15,1911.

Patented J an. 13, 1920.

@Moa/nto@ atkwnwa B. F. LEAVITT.

DIVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I5, I9II.

Patented J an. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHUI 2,

ttoz nuja y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN LEAVITT, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR .THE LEAVITT DIVING ARMOR COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DIVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

l To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN` F. LEAV- rr'r, a citizen of the United States of Amer- Y diving apparatus and its object is to proextremity ofone of the arm sections, the` vide a diving armor designed to permit a diver to descend to depths where the hydrostatic pressure is comparatively great, and which will allow sufficient use and freedom of motion of the limbs, hands and feet'to permit working at such depths.

Other objects are to facilitate the assembling and taking apart of the sections comprising the armor; to efficiently protect the electrical connections; to render vthe supporting cable and electrical connections quick-detachable from the armor; and to provide a safe air supply system that will eliminate hose connections to thev surface.`

'In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the armor;

Fig. 2 is a view of the same in side elevation; y

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section showing the swivel connection of a-shoulder section to the breast portion, the section being taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2; f

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a clamping connection between the breast portion and a ball bearing ring.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2, showing a detail. of the connection between the breast portion and said ring;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the free section being taken on line 7--7 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 shows in detail the construction of the hollow supporting cable with conductors passing through the same 5 A ,Fig 9 is a detail sectional view of the connection between the helmet and the electrical conductors. v

In these views A, B and C respectively denote a body section, a section comprising a helmet and breast portion, yand a shoulder section, said sections being rigid, metallic and pressure-resisting; and D and E designate' respectively iexible arm and leg sections, the latter of which carry rigid metallic feet F. The corresponding arm and shoulder sections preferably form a permanently connected detachable unit carrying a swivel member, presently to be described, rigidly engageable with the breast' portion. In order to give high resistance against pressure and still secure flexibility, tubular metallic coils 1 are employed for the limb sections, the adjacent convolutions thereof being interlocked, as is best seen in Fig. 7. To render these coils water-proof they are coated exteriorly with a thick layer of rub ber 2. As the high water pressure, encountered in deep-sea diving, will have a tendency to force this rubber between the convolutions of the coils it is preferred to interpose a layer 3 of heavy canvas or thin A canize 1n position. At moderate depths it is practicable to employ the metallic coils for the limb sections omitting the rubber coating, but when the armor is to be used at considerable depths, as for example 300 feet, the additional water-proofing, as described, is essential.

It is preferred to form the helmet and breast portion of the armor as a detachable unit, and to provide in the breast portion, orifices 4 through which the arms ma be passed. Between the abutting edges o the breast portion and body section, there is interposed a acking ring 4, said edges being formed wit annularv grooves to receive said ring.

To facilitate and eX edite the clamping upon the body section o the section comprisin the helmet and breast portion and the taing apart of said sections, a cam mechanism is employed which will now be described. A ring 5 encircles the upper end of the body section and is formed with a plurality of circumferential grooves 6 each of tially horizontal direction and being formed with similarly inclined cam faces 10a which are engageable respectively with studs 11 rigidly projecting from the breast portion. Thus, when the cam ring is subjected to a slight rotation upon the body section the inclined faces of the members 10 will .ride

along the studs 11 and the two abutting sections maythereby be firmly drawn together and held rigidly engaged. As a means for applying leverage to t e cam rin 45` to turn the same, said rlng is formed wit a groove 12 having one of its circumferential edges formed by a rack'of teeth engaged by a'pinion 13 mounted in said groove and rotatlvely carried by the body section, said pinion being formed with a polygonal stud 14 with which' a wrench may be engaged to rotate the pinion. Thus it is seen that when the section comprisin the breast and helmet portions has been p aced upon the body section with the studs 11 adjacent to the lugs 10,' a slight rotation ap lied to the pinion 13 will suffce to firmly interengage the members 10 and 11 and clamp the packing 4a between the two sections.

The joint between the breast portion and i shoulder section will now be described. (See Fig. 3). Each shoulder section is formed with an annular flange 15 which -is adapted to lit, within one endof a rin 16 formed at its other end with an inwar y projecting flange 17 The flan e 17 forms a seat for a ball bearing 18, said'bearing being interposed between the anges 17 and 15. The ring 16. forms a retainer for the ball bearing and is held swivelly engaged with the shoulder section by an annular nut 19 which overhangs the flange 15 and is screwed into` said ring. To permit said nut to be tightened without clamping the ball bearing, a shoulder 19a is provided upon the ring as a seat for the nut. Besides retainin the shoulder 15 in swivel engagement wit the ring 16, the nut 19-also compresses the packving 20 between said ring and the flange 15. Anoutwardly projecting annular iiange 21 carried by the ring 16 is in juxtaposition to a flange 21 upon lthe breast portion and a acking ring 22 is adapted to be clamped Between the'. two said anges. To create the clamping stress there is rigidly mounted upon the fiange 21n a plurality of spaced studs 24 having heads 24, 4the bottom faces of which are beveled at a slight angle tothe plane faces of said flange. (See Figs. 4 and 5.) The flange' 21 is formed with correspondin circumferential slots 25, of a width substantially equal tothe thickness of the -Shanks of saidstuds and each of said slots communicates at one end with an orifice 25a` proportioned to allow one of the stud heads to pass therethrough. Upon the outer face of the flange 21, there is formed aseries of U-shaped projections 26, the slots 25 being Isubjected by hydrostatic pressure.

formed between the legs of these projections, the outer faces of said projections having a bevel corresponding-to that of the heads of the studs. Thus it is seen that an arm and shoulder unit may be quickly clamped to the breast portion by registering the orifices 25a with the 'l1eads'21a of the studs, then displacing the arm and shoulder unit to engage the liange 21 with the flange 21a of the breast portion and finally rotating the flanged ring sufficiently to interengage the inclined faces of the stud heads 24a and projections 26. To secure a leverage for forcibly applying a limited rotation to the ring 16, each flange 21 is formed with an arcuate rack 27 with which is engaged a pinion 28 mounted rotatively on a lug 28, peripherally formed upon the ange 21, each of said pinions being provided with a polygonal stud 28b to which a wrench may be a plied to rotate the pinion. It is to be noted that the axes of rotation of the two arm sections are not alined, but intersect at a slight rearward inclination. Thus the arms do not rotate in arallel planes but approach each other at t eir free ends as they are raised to a horizontal position.

An appliance carried by the free ends of the arm sections to permit use of the hands will now be described. (See Fig. 7.) A ring 29 is clamped rigidly upon the free end of each arm section and is formed with an inwardly projecting 'annular flange 29a vagainst wh1ch the extremity of said section abuts. Below this flange and within said ring there is dis sed a. ball bearing 30, upon which bearmg is adapted to turn a clrcular plate 31 formed wlth an annular iiange 32 to engage said bearing. A rin nut 33 retains the member 31 and the bal bearing within the ring 29, said4 nut being seated against a shoulder 34 in said ring and retaining packing 34a in place between the members 31 and 29. A downwardly projecting portion 35 of the plate 31 constitutes a bearing for a pair of alined rock .shafts 36, the inner ends of which project into a recess 37 extending into the member 31. Between the inner ends of said rock shafts there is placed a ball 37 a which serves to reduce the friction resulting from the end thrust to which said rock shaftssare aid rock shaftsV project exteriorly from the bearing 35 and respectively. rigidly 'carry the Shanks 4() of a air of grippmg members 41, Y sald Shanks inc uding portlons 42 vprojecting toward each other to dispose the gripping members 1n proximity. The gripping mena;-

bers are slightly hooked so that' the may coact to hold an interposed object: ithin the recess 37, handles 43 g'c'tively rigidly mounted upon the rocks afts 36, said handles being extended upwardly and being provided with grips 44 to be engaged I by .a hand of the diver. The end portions of the bearing 35 form stuiing boxes for the rock shafts in which stuliing boxes acking 47 is compressed 'by packing glan s 48. From the fore oing description '1t will be seen that the dlver by drawing the handles 43` together can engage an object between the gripping members and furthermore by means .of said handles the gripping members'may be rotated through any desired arc for convenience in gripping the object.

It has been found that at considerable depths the hydrostatic pressure exerted endwise of the limb sections tends to collapse the convolutions of said sections one upon the other so as to 'deprive these sections of flexibility. To .counteract this tendency there is associated with each arm section a pair of swinging struts 50 respectively at the front and back thereof, the upper extremities of these struts bein pivoted upon studs 51 carried by the shoul er sections and their lower extremities engagin studs 52 carried by the ring 29. Slmilar y there is associated with each leg section a pair ofswinging struts 53 one at each side thereof, the upper and lower extremities of which pivotall en age studs 54 and 55, the former carried y te body section and the latter by a ring 55a clamped upon the lower end of the leg section. The struts 50 and 53 prevent collapse of the, metal coils 1 but do not prohibit flexing of said coils, since the will accommodate themselves to the ben ing of the limb sections by swinging around their pivots.

Since the swivel mounting of the foot sections F is the same as that of the members 41 at the endsof the arm sections, no descri tion thereof need be iven.

T e supporting cable w ich is employed to raise and lower the diver is indicated at 56 and is preferably made hollow to receive electrical conductors 57 which establish telephone connection to the surface and supply currentv for lightin proper will prefera ly be formed of Woven wire, and has an interior lining formed of a metallic -coil 57a preferably having inter'- locked cnvolutions such as emplo ed on a larger scale in the limb sections. is lining serves to prevent abrasion of the insulation of the conductors, which would otherwise result from the relative motion of the cables and conductors resulting from flexing. For engagement with the helmet the cable v56 1s looped, as indicated at 58, andV the loop is enga ed with' a pair of sister hooks 59 pivote to the top of the helmet. This permits the cable to be readily detached from the armor when desired, since the loop 58 may be freed from said hooks by swinging the latter apart to' each side thereof, as indicated in Fig. 1,

if desired. The cable The means employed for producing a -water-tight joint at the point of entry of the electric connectionsinto the helmet will now be described. A nut 60 is engaged in `an orifice of the helmet and is exteriorly flanged, as indicated at 61. Against the outer end of-.said nut 60, there bears a nut 62', a packing ring 63 being interposed be- A thereby clamp a packing rind 66` between said collar and the nut 62. zThese connections eliminate any possibilit, lof leakage at theIpoint of entry of the e ectrial conductors into the helmet, said conductors being extended through central orifices of the nuts 60 and 62 and being detachably y,en-

gaged within the helmet with a plug 68 Y with which the conductors of the armor are permanently connected. v

The lusual system of supplying air to divers, namely pumping the same from the surface becomes unpracticable when working at extraordina depths and in place of l'this usual system, t e invention rovides anoxygen supply to -be carried by t e diver together with means for absorbing the carbonic acid gas and moisture from the gases given olf from the'lungs. This system comprises primarily an oxygentank 68 and caustic soda tank 69, the latter tank being provided with an intake 70 at its lower end and having at its top an outlet communicating with a pipe 71 lextending to the vmixing chamber 72. The oxygen tank is also rovided with an outlet pipe 73 controll by a valve 74 and communicating with said mixing chamber. From the chamber 72 a u pipe 75 extends upward] and discharges in the front portion of the elmet. In the o eration of this system, the gases from t e lungs of the diver are diffused throughout the armor and eventually lenter the intake 70 ofthe-tank 69.. In passing'through said. i

tank, the carbonio acid gas and moisture are absorbedby the caustic soda and the nitrogenis conducted to the mixing chamber 7 2 where it encounters a predetermined amount of oxygen from the tank 68,.the valve 74 being so regulated that the mixture of oxygen and nitrogen formed in the chamber 72 will have substantially the proportions of pure air. 75 is drawn into thev lungs of the where the amount of oxygen necessary to maintain vitality is withdrawn.

This'mixture rising 1n the dpipe l lver With the system so far described there is danger of water having access to the caustic soda in case of leakage, and to safeguard against such a contingency a spring-pressed valve 7 6 is associated with the inlet valve of the caustic soda tank and is normally maintained in open position by a soluble solid body 77 interposed between a nut 78 upon the valve stem and a .bearing 79 supporting said stem. As soon as water rises within the armor to the level of the inlet of the tank 69 the body 7 7 is dissolved, thereby permitting the valve 7G to close.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a diving apparatus, the combination with an arm section, of 'a member swivelly carried by said section at the free end thereof and constitutin a closure for the section, a pair of rock sha s carried by said member, grippin members respectively carried by said roc shafts exteriorly to the arm section, and handles carried by said rock shafts within the arm section.

2. In a diving apparatus, the combination with a diving armor including a helmet section, a. tank for receiving an absorbent chemical, a pipe communicating with the last-mentioned tank discharging in the helmet section, means for replenishing the oxygen consumed by the diver, a

closure for an inlet in the bottom of the chemical tank, and meansv for automatically closing said inlet upon a rise of water within the armor to a 'predetermined level. 3. In a diving apparatus, the combination with two adjacent rigid metallic secceiving an absorbent chemical, said tank.

having an inlet and an outlet in communication with said armor, means for replenishing the oxygen consumed by the diver, a closure for the inlet of the chemical tank, and means for automatically seatin said closure upon a rise of Water within t e armor to al predetermined level.

5. In a diving apparatus, the combination with a diving armor, of a tank for receiving an absorbent chemical having an inlet and an outlet in communication wlth said armor, means for replenishing the oxygen consumed ,by the diver, a closure for the inlet of said tank, means acting on said closure tending to seat the same, and a soluble body opposing the last-named means whereby said closure will seat upon a rise of water Within the armor to the level of said solublehbody.

6. In a diving apparatus, the combina.

tion with a diving armor, of a tank carried by said armor and in. communication therewith for receiving a caustic for absorbing moisture or carbonio acid gas generated within the armor, and means for automatically closiug communication between said tank and armor upon a rise of water within the armor to a predetermined level.

-7. In a diving apparatus, the combination with a divin armor, of a tank for receiving an absor ent chemical carried by said armor and having communication therewith, means for replenishing the oxygen consumed by the diver, a closure for cutting oli' communication between the armor and saidtank, a stem for said closure, a guide for said stem, a spring acting upon the closure tending to seat the same, and a soluble body interpose between said guide, and a shoulder on said stem opposing said spring whereby a rise of water within the armor to the level of said soluble body will automatically seat said closure.

In testimon whereof I affix my si i ENJAMIN F. LA ITT.

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